Winning the Gold
by starlite crystal
Summary: Serena is tired of being a klutz so she proves that she isn't by joining the track team. what will happen when she meets her new teammates? why do they resemble the Sailor Scouts? What changes will occur when she wins a competition? finished
1. Chapter 1: Irresponsibility

 This is my first fanfic so please review so that next time my stories will be better. I hope that you enjoy this fanfic.          

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailormoon or any related characters. 

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One very early morning, Serena's mom came to wake her up. Her door was still closed so her mother knocked on the door and said " Serena it's time to wake up". She heard no answer so she decided to go into Serena's room. Over there she found Serena still asleep on her bed. So this time she decided that it was best if she just poured extremely cold water on Serena's head. Just like the last time she did that, her daughter jumped out of bed and has awakened instantly. Her mom reminded her that she was late for another meeting at Ray's temple. She dashed out of her room, took a quick shower, ate her breakfast faster than usual, and dashed out of her house.

She walked many blocks, passed by many houses, and crossed many streets. She just turned a corner and bumped into someone very familiar. He insulted her like usual, but she didn't have time to say her usual share of comments. She just kept running and finally made it to Ray's temple one hour late. Just then, Ray was about to walk down the temple stairs. 

When the others saw Serena, they didn't want to say anything because they knew that Ray was going to do their share of complaining for them. They knew that because the whole hour that Serena didn't show up, Ray was already complaining. Ray walked down the stairs followed by the others. When she was about half way there, she said "Serena! Why are you so irresponsible? You should've been here an hour ago! What happened? I can't believe that you are our leader. Aren't leaders supposed to show responsibility?" When Ray was finally finished, Serena just stared at them teary eyed and ran back home. When ray saw Serena running away She continued by yelling "Yeah Serena just run away, just go home. Maybe even fall on your face on your way there, you klutz." 

Meanwhile, back at the top of the stairs, Lita said, "Ray has really done it this time. I mean just to think that she would actually yell at our best friend." " It's not like we couldn't have stopped her right?" sighed Mina. "We should've stood up for her maybe even stopped her before she gone too far" said a concerned Amy. "You're right," said Mina and Lita. "Idea", said Amy, " Maybe we could go cheer her up." " Great idea! Why don't we go when Rays not around", said Mina. Them they all said " Ok!"

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* Serena's Thoughts *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

            'Why is Ray so cranky today? Usually she wouldn't say that many things right to my face. Oh well. I'll find a way to prove to them that I'm not irresponsible and that I have leadership abilities. Just some how I wish that it'd pop up in my faaaaacccceeeeee! Hmm… what's this? Looks like an ad. It's about joining the track team at school. I never knew that they even had a track team!? Wait a minute… I know… I'll join the track team. That'll prove that I'm not a klutz, an irresponsible person, and that I have loads of leadership skills.'   

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* At Home *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+

             "Hey Serena! Why are you back so soon?" questioned her mother. "No reason" said Serena as she walked up the stairs to her room. She closed the door and lay on her bed. "Serena, I got some notice today that your school starts tomorrow instead of the day after tomorrow" said her mom. "What!!!!!!" said Serena, "Why didn't they give a notice until now?" Her mom said, "I really don't know?"

 Later, they heard a knock on the front door. Her mother went to go get it. "Oh! What a lovely surprise to see you all! Would you like to come in?" said Serena's mom. They all said, "Sure, thanks very much." They all went upstairs to Serena's room, knocked, and said, "Hey Serena! May we come in?" Serena put a lot of thought into what they're saying until it finally registered into her mind and she said, "Ok." 

When they went in, they all went in and found Serena lying on her bed. They said in unison, "We're sorry that we didn't stand up for you. Will you ever forgive us?" Serena thought long and hard about her decision. Then she said, "Is there anything else you would like to say?" "Me first," said Mina, " I'm so sorry that, as your best friend, I didn't stand up for you." "Me next," said Amy, " I'm also really sorry about that. I should've stood up for you even though Ray might not hear  what I say." " Now it's my turn," said Lita, " Ditto about the sorry and that I didn't stand up for you. I don't know what's up with Ray today." "Hmm… I'll forgive you all", said Serena. Then Mina said, " Why don't we all go get some ice cream now since it's our last day of having no school." " Great idea!" said Serena. Then they left for ice cream.

  Hey! How did you like it so far? If you think I should continue then Review and I'll continue. 

~ : - starlite crystal - : ~  
              
  



	2. Chapter 2: School, Tryouts, and the New ...

I'm going to continue this fanfic 'til it's completed. I hope everyone's still interested in this story. When I put in my thoughts, it'll be in parenthesis.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailormoon or any related characters. I only own the other characters that I put in this story.

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            Today is the first day of school for Serena and the group. Their classes are as follows: math, recess, science, foreign languages, lunch, grammar, history, P.E., and finally the end of school (I put the subjects in that order because that's the order of my classes). Everyone has the same classes together and Serena walks home everyday after school with the group.

            Today there were new people at her school. Their names were introduced at the beginning of each class so all the teachers will know their names. Their names are Katrina, Hiromi, Heather, Jasmine, Erica, Latterly, and Jessilyn (I used these names because they are people on my basketball team). They always chose to sit at the back of the class and when the teacher wasn't looking, they would always talk about something.

 Today started as a normal day for Serena, but at her science class it was announced that the track team coach quit her job so there would be a new coach taking her place. During lunchtime, she heard rumors about the new coach and how he would look like. She heard Latterly talking about dark hair and eyes, Erica talking about tall and handsome, and Jessilyn talking about green jacket and college. At this point, Serena tried to put an image to her mind. What she saw terrified her because it was Darien. The whole day all she thought about was a simple phrase 'Why Darien'. 

 At the end of the day was the track team tryout. She was five minutes late for the tryouts so she didn't have any time to stretch. She saw many people there, but there was one group of people that caught her attention the most. The group consisted of seven people. All seven of them looked like they already knew each other very well. She remembered them. They were the group that always sits in the back of the classroom and whenever possible would talk about stuff. 

The calling of her name cut off her attention. She turned around and saw Mina and the group waving at her and asking her what she was doing here. She walked up to them and told them that she was here to tryout for the track team. Then the most hurtful thing happened, Ray started saying, "Why are you trying out? You know you won't make it. This is the track team we're talking about not some walking contest. Oh wait, you can't even walk anyways besides we all know what will happen. You'll fall on your face." Serena paid no attention to her and just started walking away to the other people who's trying out also. 

She talked a little to them and found out that their names are Lisa and Rebecca. Then she turned around and saw Mina and Lita pulling Ray over to the stands to watch the tryouts while Amy was reading a book she got from the library. She stared at Mina and Lita pulling Ray. Her staring was cut off by a familiar voice. She heard the voice say, "Hey Meatball Head." Then she turned around and saw Darien. Before Serena could say anything, Darien started to introduce himself. He said, "Hello everyone. You can call me Coach Darien or just Darien." As he introduced himself, Serena noticed that all the girls' eyes were staring directly at him and that most of their mouths were falling open. When his introduction was finished, he told them all to get acquainted. When they were finished, he told them to get ready to run.

He started to call out names in an order and said that this is the order for everyone to tryout. Then he called Latterly up to start followed by everyone else. Latterly ran and made it back in 5.5 minutes, Erica at 5.5 minutes also, Lisa at 6.8 minutes, Heather at 5.3 minutes, Jessilyn at 5.4 minutes, Rebecca at 7.1 minutes, Hiromi at 5 minutes, Katrina at 5.2 minutes, Jasmine at 5.8 minutes, and Serena at 6.8 minutes. Darien said that they all did well, but sadly he could only accept eight people to be on the track team. Everyone knew who the eight would be. They would be Latterly, Erica, Hiromi, Katrina, Jasmine, Jessilyn, Heather, and either Lisa or her. She felt upset because she was at the borderline of making it or maybe not.

 Darien looked over the results and said that Lisa and her would have to have a 'run off 'to determine who made the team. They will have the 'run off' tomorrow after school at the same time and the same place. He excused them all and congratulated the people who made the team. Then Serena ran to tell her friends that she actually had a chance to make it on the team. All her friends were exited for her except for Ray because she wanted to prove her point that Serena couldn't make the team. Everyone decided to celebrate by buying her an ice cream sundae for her hard work, but Serena declined the offer and said that she needed some rest. Then they walked her home like they would usually do.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* The next day at school *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+

            Every class went by as usual except for history because she knew that her 'run off' would come up right after this class. As soon as the bell rang, she walked out of her class as usual except this time she was trying to hurry because she knew that if she were late, the spot would go to Lisa. This time she made it on time and she started stretching. When Lisa came she stretched too and they waited for their coach to arrive.

            Ten minutes later he arrived and then the 'run off' started. He asked each of them to pick a lane. Lisa picked lane1 and Serena picked lane 2. When he blew his whistle, they started running. Lisa was ahead in the beginning, but later Serena caught up and won. She was so happy that she made it on the team. 

            After Darien congratulated her, she heard her name and turned around. She saw Mina, Lita, and Amy running towards her. When she told them that she made it on the team, they started to hug her and congratulate her. Then Mina asked, "Now do you want some ice cream?" Then Serena said yes and also asked if Lisa would like to go too. Lisa said yes and they were off. 

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* The next next day at school *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+

            All the classes went by as usual and she didn't feel worried in history anymore. Today she didn't need to hurry up but still needed to make it on time for track practices. When it was time for her to go to track practice, she was ten minutes late. When she arrived there, she stretched as much as she can and started warming up like everyone else.

            As usual the 'track star group', as she would call them, would always talk about the latest gossip and the latest fashion accessories available in stores. They would even talk about people, sports, and music. Sometimes she would hear them talking about her. They would say I can't believe Serena made the track team, I heard that even her friends think that she couldn't make it, and She better not hang around us. Most of their rude talk about her would mostly come from Latterly, the music talk from Katrina, the latest gossip from Erica, the latest fashion accessories from Jessilyn, the people talk from Hiromi, and the sport talk from Heather. 

            When Darien saw them talking to each other he said, "I guess you all have met your new teammates." Then the answered in unison, "Yes we have." After they answered, he started to go through the general rules and regulations. Then he ended by saying, "Most importantly have fun and make new friends." Then we started running our first laps as the new track team.

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            So how did you like my story? Review if you want me to continue. I'll probably write the next chapter a.s.a.p.

                                                                          - : ~ starlite crystal ~ : -


	3. Chapter 3: Practices, a New Girl, and th...

Well, here's a new chapter. I hope you all like my story and continue to review. I'm trying to update this story once a week. Oh yeah, if you know the name to Sailor Pluto please e-mail me and tell me. 

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailormoon or any related characters. I only own the characters that I put in this story.

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*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* Two Months Later at School (October) *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+

            Serena was walking to class when she bumped into three familiar faces. She said sorry and so did they. Then they said in unison, "Hey Serena!" Then she looked at them closely and said, "I know you. You're Amara (Sailor Uranus), Michelle (Sailor Neptune), and Sara (Sailor Pluto)." Then Michelle said, "Nothing gets passed you does it?" Then the bell rang and their first class started.  

            At math class, their teacher introduced the new students. Serena noticed another new face. That face wasn't the ones she saw this morning. The teacher said, "These students are transfer students from other schools. They were transferred here because of their high grades. Their names are Sara, Michelle, Amara, and Sheena (I put her name in this story because she is my coach). Students, I want you all to introduce yourselves when you get spare time." With that said, the bell rang and all the students left the class. Serena watched as Sheena walked up to the 'track stars' group and talked with them as if she knew them from somewhere. 

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* Serena's POV *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+

'Well, today is another day just like usual. Every subject in its order and every teacher just blabbing away is mostly how every day feels. Today seems like it will never end. Even if today would end, I would still have track practice just like every Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Each practice is one hour made up of stretching, drills, timed laps, and warm- ups. Since today is Friday, I have track practice. Worst of all, I have to see the 'track stars'. They will probably talk about me like they have for the past two months (I wanted to use months because it will sound like she knows them more and that she won't sound so judge mental). I wonder why Amara, Michelle, and Sara moved to this school? I'll ask them at lunch. I wonder if Sheena was part of their group. I guess I'll have to talk to her to find out.' 

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* At Lunch*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+

            Serena's morning classes are done and now it's lunch. She entered the cafeteria with Mina, Amy, Lita, Ray, Amara, Michelle, and Sara. They picked out their meals, paid for them, and headed for an open seat. They finally found one all the way at the end of the cafeteria. They took a seat, ate really quickly, and headed out for their break. They talked for a few minutes when they bumped into the 'track stars' group. The groups stared at each other for a long time with envious stares. Latterly stared at Ray, Hiromi at Amy, Katrina at Lita, Heather at Mina, Jasmine at Amara, Erica at Michelle, and Jessilyn at Sara. Each one of them felt something similar or interesting about each other. A yelling Serena cut off their stares.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* The right side of the Playground *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+

The groups left in opposite directions, walked a few steps, sat under a tree, and talked. Ray said, "I felt weird vibes around Latterly, like she is my twin or something." Then they all said, "Hey, that's what I felt too."  Then Amy said, "I did not feel any negative energy around them. They're probably not evil, but just to be safe let's just assume they're evil." "Hello, Amy, none of us felt that they were evil also so maybe they're not", said Ray. "Maybe they're not", sighed Amy.

"Hey, Amara, Michelle, and Sara can I talk to you guys for a minute?" asked Serena. "Sure," said Amara, Sara, and then Michelle. "So what did you want to talk about?" asked Amara. "Well, just asking, why did you guys choose this school?" asked Serena. Then Sara replied, "Well, since we got to choose any school that has lots of homework and really tough teachers, we decided to choose this school." 'Oh' was all Serena could say. 

Finally, another question popped into her head. Then she asked, "Did Sheena go to the same school as you guys?" Then Michelle answered, "Yes, she is really nice and tries hard at her work unlike other students." "All she could talk about other than her work are her friends", continued Amara. "She would always talk about how smart Hiromi is or how sporty Katrina is. All her talks are about her friends," continued Sara. "She never talks about anything embarrassing or negative about her friends. She respects them for who they are on the inside not on the outside. Like she always says, 'what counts, in the end, is the inside not the outside.'" said Michelle.    

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* The left side of the Playground *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+

            On the other side of the playground, the group was sitting on a table in the sun. Then their silence was broken by a question from Erica. She asked, "Is it me or did I feel like I was related to Ray, who I'll never be related to." "Hey, that's exactly how we felt too", said the rest of the group in unison. "That was so creepy. Me being related to them! No way!" said a freaked out Jasmine. "Calm down. You know we're not related to them nor will we ever. Duh!" said an annoyed Latterly.    "Don't worry you guys, maybe it's just our conscience", said an intelligent Hiromi. 'Yeah, you're right' was the only answer that came out from the rest of the group.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* Track Practice *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+  

        Serena went to track practice and she actually wasn't late like usual. She passed by the 'track stars' group and overheard them talking about Sheena. Then she looked at them quickly and thought 'Hmm…I wonder where Sheena is. Anyways, why would anyone talk about their friend especially if she's been talking about positive things about you?' Then she listened in their conversation and heard them say, "Since Sheena didn't transfer in time and make the track team, she should try and be the assistant coach. Besides she's qualified and she's coached many sports that are way tougher than that." This made Serena wonder, 'Her as assistant coach!? She'll probably pick on me because she's part of that group. Maybe if I try to befriend that group, they'll be nice to me and respect me for who I am. It's worth a try, I think.'

            Then she walked up to them and said, "Hi! What's up?" Then they answered in unison, "Hey! Nothing much." Then it was complete silence until Latterly broke the silence and said, "I can't believe the coach isn't going to kick you out of the team. You've been late like every day on our practices. You probably just got lucky in making it on the team." Then Serena ignored what Latterly said and thought, 'She sure does remind me of someone. Hmm…I know…she sounds just like Ray.' Then her thoughts were interrupted by Heather saying, "Hey Latterly don't be so mean. We don't want her to get a bad thought about us." She thought again, 'Hey that's what Mina would say.' Her other thought was cut off by Katrina saying, "Heather, quit getting into other people's business." 'That's what Lita would say.' thought Serena. Then Erica said, "Why don't we all just calm down." 'She sounds like Michelle,' Serena thought again. "Whatever," said Jasmine sounding just like Amara. "Since we're on the same team, it's better if we all not fight," yelled Hiromi. "She sounds like Amy except Amy wouldn't yell would she?" pondered Serena. "You guys, remember time is money," said Jessilyn sounding a lot like Sara.

            We were all interrupted by Darien saying, "Ok, time to stretch. Sorry I was late. I had to interview Sheena for the job as assistant coach. Guess what!? She's your new assistant coach." The 'track stars' group all cheered and screamed in unison, while I just said 'Yeah' very unenthusiastically. Then she came out from the locker room and said, "As your new assistant coach, I will be as fair as possible to everyone."

            Serena ran laps, competed against others, and got timed on how fast she ran. Sheena, on the other hand, had to read very thick books about coaching, how to do drills, and the stretching essentials. She also needed to know how to help with the injuries when someone was injured and many other medical procedures. Serena thought in her mind, 'Sheena must be very smart in learning all those procedures and reading those books. Maybe, I'll get a chance to talk to her and ask her about herself.' Practice time went by totally fast. They started out with stretching, warm ups, started getting into drills, running practice laps, timed laps, and ran to see who was the fastest. 

            After class, the 'track stars' group asked if Sheena wanted to walk home with them, but she said no because she wasn't done packing up. Ten minutes later, Serena came out of the locker room and saw Sheena. She walked toward Sheena and asked if she wanted to walk home with her. Then Sheena said, "Sure, I'll walk home with you." 

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* While Walking Home *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+

            The walk home was really quiet, either because Serena didn't know what to ask or Sheena didn't want to make a bad first impression. Then their silence was broken by a question by Serena. She asked, "Just asking, why did you move to this school?" Then Sheena answered, "Well, after I found out that I could move to any school, I looked at the list and remembered that my friends were talking about that school too. When I went home, I looked at the letters that they sent me and saw the name of this school, which they were going to." 

"Well, can you tell me anything else about yourself", asked Serena. "Ok. I have two sisters that don't come to this school. Their names are Rita and Teresa. Although I've coached many sports, I like basketball the best. I went for the interview because my friends told me that it would be a great experience. Oh yeah, my favorite color is blue", answered Sheena, "Now tell me about yourself too." "Sure. I have a brother and his name is Sammy. My friends are Lita, Amy, Mina, Ray, Sara, Michelle, and Amara. I tried out for the track team because I wanted to prove that I'm a good leader, that I'm responsible, and that I am not a klutz", said Serena. 

"I can see that you're not a klutz because you try very hard on the track. Maybe if you applied yourself a little more into what you're trying to prove, then maybe you can prove all those things and even more without having to try out for the track team. In my opinion, you don't seem like a klutz at all. As for your responsibility, you'll need improvement because, from what I heard, you have been late for practices the last two months", said a confident Sheena. "Ok, I'll try to apply myself a little more, but if this doesn't work then I'm going back to normal. How will you improve me on my responsibility skills? Wait, why are you trying to help me? The group you're hanging out with are so mean. They spread gossips about my friends and me so, since you're part of that group, why are you trying to help me?" said Serena.

"Well, I'm trying to help you so you can reach your goals. Another reason is because I'm supposed to help you since I'm the coach. I know the group I hang out with may be mean, but if you know them on the inside they won't seem so mean. Like, for example, me. You didn't know me that much, and you still wanted to know about me", said Sheena. "How will I ever get to know that group if they keep trying to avoid me? They may be kind, but, for all I know, I cannot say that until I get to know them more", said Serena. "Why don't you hang out with me that way you'll be able to hang out with them, ok", said Sheena. "Ok", said Serena.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+* At Home *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+

            When Serena arrived home, she went directly to her room. Then she thought in her mind, 'I wonder what else I'll learn about those people. I wonder if they're exactly what Sheena said. I've got to tell all of these to Mina and the group. Maybe we all can become friends hopefully by the end of the school year. Well, now it's dinnertime! I'll tell them later.'

            After dinner, Serena went to her room, took a shower, changed her clothes, brushed her teeth, and finally started her homework. She finished her homework three hours later. Them she got on her communicator and told Mina of what happened today. She told her everything and told her to tell the others too because she was really tired. So Mina spread the news. 

So how was this chapter? Well, I'll write more if you review more.

~ : - starlite crystal - : ~


	4. Chapter 4: First Three Competitions and ...

Hey there! Well, here's chapter 4. I'm really sorry for not updating so I made this chapter extra long. Also, sorry for skipping two months in the story, but I don't want to be explaining what happens every day. So enjoy!

Disclaimer: Well, once again I don't own Sailor moon or any related characters. I just own the characters that I put in.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+ ~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: Two Months Later (Morning of December 1) :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            After another one of Serena's peaceful sleep, Serena awoke to the smell of pancakes. After breathing in that delicious aroma, she got out of bed and raced downstairs. Obviously, at the speed she was going, she didn't notice Sammy, and she shoved Sammy down to the ground. Then he said, "Wow, she actually could smell the pancakes with her door shut." When Sammy reached the kitchen, he saw Serena grabbing a stack full of pancakes. Then he took a plate of two pancakes for himself. She grabbed the syrup and poured a lot that her pancakes were soggy. She also used some butter and started eating. Without noticing her eating, Sammy asked, "Are you really going to finish all of those?" Then Serena answered, after she swallowed, "Yes, I will finish all of these. That's why I put it on my plate." 

            After ten minutes of arguing, Serena's mom walked in and said, "Serena, did you forget the days again? Well, for your information, today's Friday. So you still have school." Without listening to the last sentence, Serena ran off. She ran upstairs to change, brush her teeth, and packed her backpack. Then Sammy finished his breakfast and headed upstairs ignoring the charging footsteps. He climbed only one step before getting knocked down to the ground. Then he heard Serena yell, "Sorry Sammy." When he got up and looked out the door, he saw no trace of her so he just got to his morning routines. On the way upstairs he thought, 'I wonder how Serena gets to school every day without causing a disaster.' Then he just shook his head to get rid of the thought and continued walking.

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: On the Way to School :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~            Serena ran and thanked herself for joining the track team because now she could run way faster than before. She turned a corner and bumped into someone. She didn't stop running, although she fell down, but she said sorry. The man she bumped into thought, 'Serena, if only you could run that fast on the track. Oh yeah, I got to go to a very important meeting in school. They're going to talk about who's going to be running the first race off against the other schools.' Serena thought as she was running, 'Why can't I run this fast on the track. Maybe if I just imagine that I'm late for school, then I'll run faster. I can't even imagine that because Latterly would just ruin my thoughts like she had before.'

*-*-*-*-*-*-* Flashback to two months ago *-*-*-*-*-*-*

            Serena just woke up from an exiting dream. She was going to hang out with a popular group besides her own popular group. With that in mind, she did her hair in her usual style, changed her clothes, and went downstairs to eat her breakfast. She poured herself some cereal and milk; then she started  eating. She was enjoying the moment when she looked at her watch and saw that it was time for school. So she ran upstairs, prepared her bag, and left.

            She ran, but she wasn't that capable of doing so because she had less experience in running. She kept running and running until she finally reached her classroom. She was five minutes early. Then she looked at her watch again and this time she noticed that the time was still the same as this morning. So she took off her watch and put it in her backpack. Then she reminded herself to get that watch fixed. She turned around and saw that the 'track stars' group was there including Sheena. Sheena motioned for her to come and talk with them so Serena got out of her seat and walked toward them.

            The 'track stars' group noticed Serena coming so they gave her some room to talk with them. By the time she was in front of the group, she noticed that everyone was in complete silence. She decided to break the silence, and started saying, "Hi you all! Anything new? So when's our first competition? Who are the ones running and who are the substitutes?" Then Latterly came up toward Serena and said, "Hey. There's nothing new. Who knows and who cares when our first competition is, its not like anyone knows anyways. Probably one of us will be running. You will most likely be the substitute with the way you're running on the track these days." 

            After those words were said, Serena felt saddened and embarrassed especially at the tone Latterly was in, who knows who could've been listening. Then after a few seconds of silence, Sheena said, with a tone of authority, "If any of you guys are wondering, Serena is here because I told her to come and hang out with us. Latterly, you shouldn't have been so rude to her. She is your teammate anyways. If any of you guys have a problem with this then don't hesitate to speak up now." No one spoke. It was like Sheena was the leader of  the whole group. With that said, the bell rang and we all took our seats, and were ready to be taught and lectured throughout the whole day.

            At the end of the day, they had a track meeting instead of a track practice. At the track meeting, the runners and their substitutes would be announced, and other important things would be announced also. Serena made it to the track meeting on time and she noticed that the coach wasn't there so she took a seat underneath a tree. While she was waiting, she heard the 'track stars' group talking about her. She turned around and saw everyone there except Sheena. Then she decided to go closer to listen so she would know what about her that they were talking about. Then she spotted a tree around them and decided to climb the tree and then listen in on their conversation. 

            She climbed two branches and thought that this was a safe place to start listening. She heard them say, "That Serena girl and her friends. They seem so weird. Anyways, what's up with Sheena today? She seems like Serena is her best friend or something. For all I know, there's something going on with her today. Yeah, I mean she never would've stand up for someone she barely knows. Well, we can always ask her and get more information that way. Yeah, and that Serena better not be hoping so high about her being the actual runner in the race. She'll probably lose and make our school look bad. I don't know how she got on the track team; but if she wants to stay on this team, she better be able to beat us in running." 

            With all that said, they left and headed towards the conference rooms. After they left, Serena climbed down the tree; actually more like fell off the tree. She didn't break any bones or sprained any ankles though. Then, just like the rest, she too started to walk towards the conference rooms. When she was in one of the rooms, she took the last seat open, which was in between Hiromi and Katrina. She noticed that Sheena was already there, and that Darien just walked in.

 Darien took a seat at the head of the table, and started announcing who was the runners and who was the substitutes. He said, "These are the runners as follows: Hiromi, Katrina, and Heather. These are the substitutes as follows: Latterly will be the sub for Hiromi, Erica is the sub for Katrina, and Jessilyn is the sub for Heather. If, for any reason, Hiromi, Katrina, Heather, Latterly, and Erica can't make it then Jessilyn, Jasmine, and Serena will be running. Let me tell you guys that there are rarely any chances that all five of them will be absent. Well, for your information, our first competition is next week on Wednesday, so all of you better be prepared; our second competition is a month from our first one; and our third competition will be two weeks from our third one; our fourth one will be on December 1; and finally, our fifth one will be at the end of December. If we win most of our competitions, we will be going for the finals. I'll inform you all about the dates of the finals as soon as I find out. You're all dismissed." 

After that long meeting, Serena heard that group talking about her again. This time they said, "I'm right. I knew that Serena wouldn't make it. She's such a klutz. Hey, if you're talking about Serena then you're talking about me because I'm a sub with her. Oh yeah! Sorry Jasmine." After she heard that, she knew that that group would never be kind to her so she decided to walk home alone.

*-*-*-*-*-* End of Flashback *-*-*-*-*-*

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~ At School ~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

Serena was actually early for school. She sat down and tried not to think back to the past anymore because it was doing her no good. Ever since that day, she lost hope in ever proving her point to others, except for her friends. The rest of the day just went by swiftly, except for track practice. 

At track practice, she was ten minutes early so she decided to start stretching. After the ten minutes were over, She stopped stretching and waited for their coach to come and finally he did. He started them with drills, warm-ups, and timed laps. Since Serena lost hope, she has been running slower than ever. She failed at her attempts to do the drills, warm-ups, and the timed laps.

In the middle of a drill, Latterly yelled at her saying, "Serena, work harder and run faster. It's just running we're talking about, not some sport that you can do. Besides it's not like you can play any sports because all sports require running. Don't you remember what happened at the last competitions?" Then at that word _competition, _she had another flashback.

*-*-*-*-*-* Flashback to their first competition *-*-*-*-*-*

      Darien said, "Well, today's our first competition. We're against the team called 'Faster than Lightning'(for the team names, I'm making it up). So, I guess we should come up with a team name also." Then Latterly shouted, "What about Storm Runners?" "If there are no disagreements, then that's our team name" said Darien. Then he waited and there were no disagreements so that was the team name. Then Darien remembered something and said that Katrina called and said that she had to go to a wedding, Heather called and said that she was going out of town on a last minute emergency, Erica and Jessilyn called, and said that she could come to the competition, but she couldn't run because she sprained her ankle; and Latterly called and said that she broke her arm and couldn't run.

'So that's why Hiromi, Jasmine, and I are the only ones here' thought Serena. After that thought, Serena walked out and found that all the chairs and bleachers were full. She looked around and spotted Mina and the group and waved to them. Then she noticed Latterly yelling something to her. She heard her yell, "We better win Serena." Next to her were Jessilyn and Erica, who tried to turn away from Latterly so no one would think they were related.

Then Darien said, "Time to stretch and warm-up." Then we all started to stretch and warm-up. Serena had her spirits high on proving that she wasn't a klutz, that she didn't notice that everyone was on the starting line until Sheena said, "Serena the race is about to begin." Then Serena walked toward the starting line and got into position. After that, the whistle was blown and they were off. While Serena was running, she didn't notice that Sheena was taking notes on how to improve Serena's running skills. Serena ran, and was first so far until Hiromi passed by her, but she still didn't give up. A few minutes after Hiromi passed by her, every step she took got slower and slower. As she got slower, the opponents noticed that this was their chance to pass by her. Then they passed by her. After they passed her, all that could come into her mind was that she couldn't prove her point and that she was going to lose.

Then finally the finish line approached. Everyone tried their best because this was their first competition. The race got closer and closer. Finally the announcement came. The person said, "We have seen the winners and they've tried hard. They are as follows: Hiromi, Stacie, Helen, Jasmine, Brianna, and Serena. Now if they'll step to the stands to receive their medals. These are the names as follows: 1st place goes to Hiromi, 2nd place goes to Stacie, and 3rd place goes to Helen. Good luck next time for those who didn't win a medal and keep trying harder."

Serena was happy that the school won, but wasn't happy because she didn't prove her point. When she turned around to leave, she saw Mina and the group motioning her to come so she walked towards them. Before she could reach them, Latterly stopped her and yelled, "Serena, we would've lost if it wasn't for Hiromi. Why did you want to join the track team anyways? You're not track team material, you're not even fit for sports." Then, on the verge of tears, she ran as fast as she could and left Mina and the group wondering what happened to her.

When Serena was at home, she did her usual routine and lay on her bed. While she lay on her bed, she stared at the ceiling and said, "One of these days, you just wait and see, I'll win the gold." After saying that she drifted off into a deep sleep.

*-*-*-*-*-* End of Flashback *-*-*-*-*-*

            Then Darien remembered what had happened at the first competition too and then he said, "Latterly, you shouldn't say that to your teammate. You should respect her for her perseverance and contributions to this team. This whole team is not focused entirely on you. I'm the coach, so I'm going to be doing the yelling around here."

            After he finished, Latterly said, "I don't know how she made the team, but, if you ask me, she shouldn't have ever been chosen. She probably just got lucky at the 'race off'. Is it me or did you forget what happened at the second competition?" Then Serena drifted off into another flashback.

*-*-*-*-*-* Flashback to the second competition *-*-*-*-*-*

            Darien said, "Well, since our whole team is here, we won't be needing our subs. The subs should stay and watch the competition though. The team we're against is known as the 'Speedy Sisters'." Then Sheena motioned for all the subs to follow her. She led them to a bench under a tree. She told them to stay there and watch; if they needed them, they would be asked to go to the tracks and run. 

Then the teams stepped out and started stretching. When the announcement was made that the race was about to start, everyone competing went to the starting line and into their positions. After a few minutes, the whistle was blown and everyone was off. The race started off with Lianne leading, but somehow Katrina caught up to her and passed her. Then Melanie passed Hiromi, and Sarah passed Heather. Finally, the finish line was getting closer and closer. This was going to be a tough race because some passed the others and then the others caught up and passed them. Then the announcement was made. They said, "First place goes to Heather, 2nd place goes to Lianne, and 3rd place goes to Melanie."

At the end, everyone cheered for Hiromi, Katrina, and mostly for Heather. Then the group went to celebrate another victory and forgot all about Serena. Then Mina and the group went to Serena's side and asked what happened a month ago at the first competition. Then she told them to walk with her home and then she would tell them.

*-*-*-*-*-* End of Flashback *-*-*-*-*-*       

            Then Darien said as calmly as possible, "Yes, I do remember what happened on the first and second competition. On the first one, you yelled at her for no reason. On the second one, you forgot to invite her to the party you were going to have for the TEAM. It seems like you are the one that can't remember about those competitions. With this attitude, I'm going to suspend you from the team until you work on that attitude of yours. From now on Jasmine will be taking Latterly's spot on the team. Serena you'll be the back up now."

            Then Latterly said, as everyone stared at them except for Serena, "Well, you can't suspend me from the team. It says in the handbook that a player or participant must have three violations from the coach. Technically, you can't suspend me from the team." Finally, Darien said, "You do have three violations from me. Don't you remember the third competition?" Then that word hit her again and she was in another flashback.

*-*-*-*-*-* Flashback to the third competition *-*-*-*-*-*

            "Today's another competition. Well, once again not everyone made it. For today's competition, we have Jasmine, Katrina, and Heather. Today, we're against the team known as the 'Speed Goddesses'. Serena we'll still need you as backup so you can go sit on the bench and wait for now." Serena walked to the bench where she was sitting last time and sat down. After a minute or two, Sheena ran up to Serena to tell her that she was going to run today. All Serena could say was, "What!" before Sheena pulled her towards the conference room.

            In the conference room, Serena noticed that Katrina was in pain. Then Serena and Sheena went to her  side and tried to help her walk out to the bench to sit down. Then when they were outside, Katrina sat down and Serena noticed that Katrina wasn't in pain anymore so she said, "Ready for the competition?" Then Katrina said, "No. You're going to run. If you're going to prove your point to everyone, then start by proving it here. You can do it. Just concentrate and focus." Then Serena said, "How do you know what I'm trying to prove?" "Look, we'll talk after you win that medal so go" said Katrina encouragingly. "Wait, before you go, you need to remember to pace yourself. I've been observing the way you run and you keep using up your energy in the beginning; and by the end, you always slow down and end up losing. So, if you plan on winning, listen to me" said an intelligent Sheena.

            Then Serena went to where the others were and started stretching. After a few minutes of stretching, everyone approached the starting line. When the whistle sounded, everyone was off. Serena remembered Sheena's advice and slowed down. Kathryn and Kristine passed her swiftly. Later on, they also passed Jasmine, but they could not pass Heather. Jamie, the slowest girl on the other team, could not even pass Serena when Serena was slow that it made Serena wonder, 'Was she actually better than someone?' 

            Finally the finish line was drawing closer and closer step by step. So she listened to the advice and started running faster. When Kathryn and Kristine saw this, they even started running faster than before. The announcements came and the winners are as follows: 1st place goes to Kathryn, 2nd place goes to Kristine, and 3rd place goes to Serena. Serena joyfully walked up to the stands as  the announcer placed the 3rd place bronze medal around her neck. Everyone cheered her on, even Sheena was yelling. 

            At the end of the race, her teammates congratulated her for respect, not because they truly meant it, except for Sheena, Katrina, and Darien who really meant what they said. When everyone left, Latterly came up to her and said, "For your information, you only won because of luck. That's the exact same thing that happened at the 'race off'. Its too bad that you couldn't win the gold." Then Latterly left, and Serena went up to Sheena and said, "The advice that you gave me, coach, was really helpful." Then Sheena replied, "Thanks. I'm glad to have made a new friend." 

Then Serena spotted Katrina waiting for her under a tree. She ran up to her and asked her, "How did you know what I was trying to prove?" Then Katrina replied, as they walked home, "Do you remember the first competition when you lost and Latterly yelled at you for losing? Well, after you left, your friends, Mina and the group came up to me and asked what made you run away that fast and what made you so sad. So I answered all of their questions and we talked about you and all. So that's how I know so much more about you. Your friends are so nice. Latterly is always like that, so don't worry about her. You know what? Why don't I be your friend. At lease now you have two friends out of our group." Then Serena said, "Thanks." 

*-*-*-*-*-* End of Flashback *-*-*-*-*-*

            "Well, those are your three violations. I won't be seeing you then at today's competition. According to the rulebook, I won't be seeing you at all in any of our competitions" said Darien. "Well, that's fine with me. I'll still be there to watch though because my friends are in the competition" said Latterly. 

            Then yelling interrupted all of Serena's flashbacks. When she looked around, she noticed that Latterly wasn't there anymore. Then Darien said, "Well, you should feel better now without Latterly bossing you around." Then Serena smiled and knew that finally she could run and do a lot more in peace. Then she started working harder on the track now that she remembered that she actually won the bronze. Her speed increased on the tracks and finally she was able to beat Erica, Jasmine, and Jessilyn. Finally, it was time to go to today's competition.

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

I decided to end here. Well, if you want to know more about the competition, then review. Tell me if I should continue also.                                                                  

~ : - starlite crystal - : ~


	5. Chapter 5: Last Two Competitions and a B...

Well, here's another chapter to this story. I hope you like this chapter. So enjoy.

Disclaimer: Same as usual. I don't own Sailor Moon or any related characters. I only own the characters that I put in this story.

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~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: Fourth Competition Time! :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            "Well, everyone, we are against the team that calls themselves the 'Queens of Quickness'. I heard that they're really fast. They even beat the best running team in this state. Today, Hiromi, Heather, and Katrina are running today. We really need to win one more race in order to be definitely in the finals and in first place out of all the competitions. There really is no pressure because if we lose, we will always have the fifth one to hopefully win", said Darien. Then he dismissed all of them except for those who are in today's competition.

            As soon as Sheena caught sight of Serena leaving the meeting room, she ran towards her and asked her, "Do you want to run in today's competition?" Then Serena asked, "How will I get a chance to run? Jessilyn, Erica, and Jasmine are here so they will be up next not me." Then Sheena answered, "Well, I don't think that Darien told you, so here goes. You're the new sub. You no longer need to wait for everyone to take your chances of proving your point now." Then, with a shocked expression, Serena answered, "How did you do that?" Then Sheena answered, "Well, I told Darien so I guess that he decided to help you. Anyways, are you going to answer my question now?" then Serena said, "No, I don't want to compete today. Maybe next time I will."

            Then Sheena left, and Serena walked towards the bench and sat down. Then a couple minutes later, the teams approached the tracks and started stretching. After approximately five minutes passed, the teams started heading towards the starting line and got into their positions. After a whistle, everyone was gone from the starting line and on their way to victory. 

            At first, Claudia was way ahead of everyone. Then, out of nowhere, Hiromi dashed right in front of her. Around the middle of the track, Marina was behind, but she caught up and passed Heather. At the end of everyone, Katrina remembered the words of advice that Sheena gave Serena before she won the bronze, and started to pace herself as well. Since Katrina was pacing herself, Tara took the opportunity and passed Katrina.

            Once again, the finishing line was approaching so Katrina started to increase her pace. She passed Tara, then she passed Heather, and then Marina. When she noticed that Claudia's pace started to decrease, she, just like Tara, passed by a shocked looking Claudia. Lastly, she caught up with Hiromi and passed her too, just like she did to the rest. Then the announcements came. The announcer said, "First place goes to Katrina, 2nd place goes to Hiromi, 3rd place goes to Marina. Congratulations to the winners and those who are here today." Serena, Mina, and the group, of a large amount of people, came and cheered for the winners as well as for those who participated. Serena noticed that today's crowd was way larger than before.

At the end of the competition and all the cheering, Serena noticed that Katrina looked hungry so she asked, "Do you all want to go get something to eat while we all celebrate?" Then all their replies were heard in unison, "Sure!" Then Serena asked the team if they wanted to go celebrate also, since they are part of the team, and their replies were 'Yes'. Then Serena noticed Latterly and asked her if she wanted to go too, but Latterly said, with her usual tone, "No. I don't need a pity invitation from you. I might as well go myself, but I really don't have time, when it comes to celebrating or even talking to you." 

Then she left with her attitude only to be stopped by Sheena who said, "Latterly, why have you been so cruel to MY friend? Why can't you just be nice to her for once? If you don't change that attitude of yours, then I guess our friendship just won't work out will it?" Then Latterly answered, "Well, you know what, I really think that our friendship won't work out so I guess I won't be seeing you around. You weren't a good friend anyways. You would stand up for her instead of me! Well, like I said, it won't work so good luck with your new friend. Oh yeah, don't bother persuading MY friends to join you." "Fine, I won't", yelled Sheena.

Then Serena noticed Sheena and Latterly arguing. She waited for Sheena to come toward her before she said, "Sheena, I heard your argument. I really don't want to intervene in your friendship with Latterly." Then Sheena replied, "Well, it really wasn't your fault. She wasn't a good friend anyways." Serena yelled to get everyone's attention and said, "Who's up for pizza?"

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: At the Pizza Parlor :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            At the pizza place, Amy surveyed everyone's order. She tallied everything up and said, "Looks like we're going to have pepperoni, pineapple, and cheese pizza. When everyone agreed, Ray started to order the pizzas. After five minutes of waiting, the pizzas finally arrived to their table. Everyone grabbed a slice and started eating. When everyone was on their second slice of pizza, Serena was on her fourth slice. Then Katrina asked, "How could you eat so many slices of pizzas like that?" Then Mina answered, "She always eats a lot. She can eat like there's no tomorrow." When Serena heard that, she nodded her head. Everyone continued to eat peacefully for the next half hour. With all that time spent there, Serena said that it was time for her to go. Everyone said their goodbyes and she was off. 

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: While Walking Home :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

She took the short cut to go home by walking through the park. As she walked through the park, she couldn't help but notice how peaceful everything was. While daydreaming, Serena bumped into someone. Whoever it was helped her up. Then she noticed that it was Darien. When Darien noticed that it was Serena, he asked if she needed company on the way home. So she said that if he wanted to come, he could. Then he decided, since her house was on the way to his house, that he would accompany her on her way home. 

They walked in silence through the park. Then finally Darien asked a question, "I heard that you invited the whole team including Latterly to that new pizza place. It that true?" Then Serena answered, "Yes, that's true except Latterly didn't want to come. Why do you ask?" "Well, just curious", said Darien. Finally, after that long (yeah right) I mean short conversation they arrived at Serena's front door step. Then after Serena went in, he left.

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: The Fifth Competition (In the Afternoon) :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            "Finally it's December 31, the day of our last competition. We really need to win this game if we want to be first", said Hiromi. "Who's competing today?" asked Serena. "None of us know the answer to that question yet", replied Katrina.

Then Darien walked into the meeting room and said, "Looks like Heather will not be competing today because she caught the flu. So…Hiromi, Katrina, and Serena, you three will be competing." Then he turned around to look at the subs and said, "All of you can follow Sheena to the bench where you'll be staying until we need you." Then he turned around to the runners and said, "Well, all I know about this team is that their looks can be deceiving. Their team name is 'Speed is our Need'. Well, good luck and run as fast as you can. Now, let's go win this race."

            Everyone left the meeting room and quickly started stretching. After five minutes of stretching, everyone went over to the starting line. Serena quickly glanced behind her and saw Sheena waving towards her. Then she waved back and looked towards the stands and saw Mina and the group. On the opposite side of Mina and the group was Latterly, looking bitterly towards Serena. Finally, when Serena got into position, the whistle sounded and the final race began. Everyone, who was in this race, was determined to win so their team would have another win in their records and their rank in the competition will be higher. 

            First, Hiromi was in the lead as usual; but when the second turn came, Joanne dashed right pass her. Then, Tiffany and Connie were in the lead, followed by Katrina, and then Serena. Serena kept thinking about what Sheena said about pacing herself. Then she decided that pacing herself was what she was going to do. As Serena approached the third turn, she started to quicken her speed. With each step that she took, she got closer to Katrina and, setting a record, passed her. Then her next target would be Connie and Tiffany, since they ran about the same speed, so she passed them without any troubles. Now to get the bronze all she had to do was to pass the next person so she passed Joanne, since Hiromi passed her also. Now she was going to get the silver for sure and make another record as well. Now she was too close to the finish line to go for the gold, so she just settled for the silver and continued running at her pace.

            Finally, after everyone passed the finish line, the announcer spoke into his microphone and said 1st place goes to Hiromi, 2nd place goes to Serena, and 3rd place goes to Joanne. Congratulations to all of you all and good job Serena on improving your running techniques and skills. This competition goes to the team known as 'Storm Runners'. 

            Then Darien yelled saying that he wanted us to meet him in the conference rooms for a quick meeting. We all nodded our heads and tried to get through the crowd. In the conference rooms, Darien congratulated Serena for her outstanding improvement and started getting in business. He said, "I know when the finals are. The first one is on the last week of March. If we win that one and go to the championships, it will be on the last week of May. Both of the competitions will be on a Saturday, but we'll still have practices on Fridays at our usual time. We have a lot of time until then, but that doesn't mean that we'll slack off on our training." Then we all nodded our heads in agreement and then left the conference rooms.

            As soon as Serena opened the door, Mina, the group, and her family cheered and congratulated her for all her hard work. Then her parents offered another pizza party for everyone's hard work. Everyone agreed, even the coaches agreed. In hopes of  friendship, Serena looked for Latterly and hoped that this time she would not decline the offer. Then she spotted Latterly and asked, "Would you like to come with us to the pizza parlor and eat pizza with us?" then Latterly answered with her usual tone with attitude, "Like I said before no I don't want to go to the pizza parlor with you. I don't care if anyone else is there. I just don't want to go." Then Serena turned around and noticed that everyone waited for her to come so she caught up with them and they all left to that same pizza parlor again forgetting all about Latterly.

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: At the Pizza Parlor (again) :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            As soon as they arrived at the pizza parlor, everyone took a seat and Serena's parents started to order. This time they ordered cheese, ham, and pineapple pizzas. After ten minutes of waiting and talking, the waiter came with all the pizzas that they ordered and they started eating.

            After everyone was done eating, everyone left except for Serena and her family. They left as soon as they were done paying and were on their way back home. On the streets, they passed by many houses, each one with its own special uniqueness and quality. Then they passed by the park that Serena always took as a shortcut home from school. After looking at all the green scenery, they passed by more houses and made several turns until, finally, they made it back home.

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: At Home :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            As soon as Serena's dad opened the front door of the house, Serena raced upstairs and started doing her homework, something she would normally not do. She thought that, if she could do well in the track competitions, she might be able to raise her grades and improve greatly. Three hours later, she finished her homework and decided to take a long bath. An hour later, she finished her bath and started drying her hair. After drying her hair, she brushed her teeth and went to bed. As she lay down on her bed, she wondered how the finals will be and who she'll be against. She also wondered if she could beat the records that she made today and if she'll ever win the gold. As she drifted on into a long sleep, she knew that all these questions would be answered at the finals.

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Well, so how do you like this chapter? Like I said before, review if you want me to continue. I guess this updating every week thing is working out after all.

~ : -starlite crystal - : ~


	6. Chapter 6: Losing a Teammate and the Las...

Yes, another chapter again. I hope you all enjoy. Keep reviewing if you want me to continue. 

Disclaimer: I will never own Sailor Moon. Although, I do own the characters that I put in this story.

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~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:  Three months later (March) on Friday :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            'Today is the day before the finals, where all of my questions will be answered. Every night since the last competition, I've been wondering about those questions and finally they'll be answered', thought Serena. Then the bell rang and it was time for lunch. Serena spent most of the morning thinking about whether she'll compete or not, but she knew what the answer would be.

*-*-*-*-*-* Flashback to the Third Week of January on Monday *-*-*-*-*-*

             The morning went by as usual without Serena being late though. She was actually showing more responsibility in her work. Ever since the last competition ended, Serena has changed. No longer was she late for meetings at the temple or even at school. She turned in all her missing assignments and offered to do the rest that she has missed since the beginning of the school year. Now that she was more responsible, her parents left her home alone more often. Even Ray had nothing to say against Serena, all she could do was be in awe of all her improvements. 

Even Ray changed too. Now she learned how to calm herself down and actually supported Serena in everything that she did. Ever since Ray was in a good mood, her grandpa gave her less chores and more free time. Ray actually liked the change because she saved a lot more energy and put it into better use. Everyone thought that Serena had actually rubbed some of her happiness unto Ray because they actually got along everywhere they went. This change did a lot of good for the group because now they didn't waste any time and they could actually finish what they're doing and go shopping.

At lunch, everyone ate at the usual spot, under a tree. They enjoyed their lunch; and when it was recess time, they stood under a different tree and talked about how exited they were when Serena won the silver and how much fun the meetings are nowadays and how much fun they had going shopping.

Then the bell rang again and everyone headed for their classes. Everyone took their usual seats and the class began. After listening to the long lectures and the lessons being taught, it was the end of the day once again. Serena quickly packed up all her belongings and left for the tracks.

At the tracks, Serena spotted the group stretching and headed there. When she was there, she started stretching and waited to be instructed on what to do next. Finally, after ten minutes, the coach came. He instructed them to warm-up and to get in a lane and start running two laps. After that, they would work on drills and then timed laps.

Then everyone did as they were told. After practice, there was a meeting in one of the conference rooms regarding Heather. Everyone headed straight towards the meeting room and took a seat. After Darien took a seat he announced that Heather is moving to England. He held up a letter to show proof. Everyone looked shocked and looked at the envelope for Heather's new address so they could mail her a letter. Then Darien announced that, since Heather is not coming back here to race for the team and all, Serena would take Heather's place. This meant that Serena was going to be in all the competitions for sure. Now she was not just a sub, she was the actual competitor. 

            Then everyone was excused. As soon as they were excused, everyone left. Serena took the usual path home, while the others took their own path home. Finally, Serena was home and told her parents about what happened at track practice today. When she was finished, she raced up to her bedroom and started her work. Finally, when she was done, she ate dinner, took a bath, and brushed her teeth. After brushing her teeth, she was tired so she went to bed. 

*-*-*-*-*-* End of  Flashback *-*-*-*-*-*

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: At Lunch :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            Serena sat in the usual spot she's been sitting at for the past months and her friends joined her. They sat quietly for a while until Mina asked a question. She asked, "Serena, are you exited that tomorrow's the finals?" Then Serena answered, "Yes, I'm very exited. I hope we win." Then Amy said, "Well, you've been running a lot faster lately, so you'll probably win." "Yeah, I hope so", said Serena. Then she said, "Do you want to wait for me while I'm at practice because we haven't been walking home as a group lately?" Then Lita said, "Sure, we'll wait for you." Then everyone nodded their heads in agreement and then the bell rang signaling that it was their recess time. 

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: At Recess (Serena's POV) :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            Today was warm. The winter's coldness started to fade away and welcome the spring. Out at recess, we decided to take a seat under the cherry blossom tree. It may not have been our usual spot, but we chose this spot because all of the other shaded spots were taken. We talked  about today's meeting, where it'll take place, and when it should end. We also talked about track practice, when the competition will begin, and who I'll be competing against. Our talk lasted for a long time. It felt like it would never cease. Then, finally, the bell rang, telling us that it was time for our next class.

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: In Class (Serena's POV) :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            In class, one minute it felt like the teacher saying, "Welcome to another day of Grammar. Now let's check yesterday's lesson, and then we'll move on to our new lesson about prepositions, interjections, and conjunctions." A few minutes later it felt like it was the end of class and the teacher was saying, "Good bye now students. I'll see you tomorrow. Don't forget to study your lesson so that it'll stay in your heads." Then I was off to my next class.

            While I was in my next class the same thing occurred. It felt like time really wanted me to know what was in store for me in the future. 'Was that why my day was going by so fast?', I thought and pondered. First the history teacher was saying, "Welcome class to another exiting day of history. Let's take out your homework and correct them. Once we're done, we could start on chapter 15 in our history books. After this chapter, we have five more chapters to go. In chapter 15, we'll learn about the Civil War and more about the people involved in it. Well, if there are no questions, then we'll start correcting then." Finally, the teacher ended this class by saying, "Time goes by quite fast. Sometimes people feel that they could do so little in that time, but if people would just concentrate and focus on what they were doing they probably would've made history." Then that was it. It was time for the last practice before the finals.  

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: On the way to practice (Serena's POV) :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            As soon as I made it back to my homeroom, I started immediately on packing up my belongings. After I was excused from class, I looked at the watch and noticed that I was late. I was really late. I decided to take the staircase because it would be faster. I went downstairs quickly being very careful not to trip on a step. Finally, when I reached the bottom of the staircase, I took a deep breath in and slowly let it out. 

Then I decided to take the main hallway to get to the tracks because that hall was always deserted; although, I still have no clue why they call it the 'main hall'. After walking for five minutes, I reached the door called 'Field'. I pushed the door open and saw the team stretching on the other side of the field, so I had to walk a long way before I reached them. 

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: At Practice (Serena's POV) :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

By the time I reached them, they were already done stretching and started on the drills. Then I saw that Erica had no drill partner, so I decided to be her partner. When we were doing our drills and the coach passed by, that was when Erica whispered, so she wouldn't get caught, "Why were you late? Are you turning back to how you were like before?" Then I whispered back, "It's none of your business about why I was late. No, I'm not turning back to how I was like before." Then she said, with her voice louder than before, "I wasn't the one who wanted to be your partner. You're the one who asked. If you didn't ask, then I would've been paired up with Jessilyn or maybe even Hiromi." Then I replied back, "Well, if you really wanted them to be your partner then you should've said so earlier or you could've declined my offer you know. Besides you looked like you had no partner. Do you know what? You act just like Latterly although, you aren't as harsh as her." Then she never replied back, but she looked like she was thinking about what I said.

            That's exactly how the rest of track practice was. After drills, we started on our timed laps. I beat Erica, Jessilyn, and Jasmine. After the timed laps, we started our little races against each other. Since I beat those three people, I had to race against Hiromi, the best runner on this team. She was not that easy though. I lost against her, but I still remembered that she is the best. Jasmine ran against Katrina and she lost. Jessilyn ran against Erica and she won mostly because Erica wasn't paying attention. After doing the timed laps, the coach excused us by saying, "Everyone remember to be here on time. Don't be late. Get a lot of rest. I heard that we're against the 4th place team, but don't let your guard down just because they're 4th place."

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: At Serena's House for Meeting :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

After practice, just like Mina, Amy, Ray, and Lita promised, they walked with Serena to her house because that's where they decided that the meeting should be. They also decided that the meeting should end at 5:00 p.m. They all sat around Serena's coffee table downstairs and talked. They talked about the upcoming events at school and the activities that were held there also. After half an hour of talking, they ran out of stuff to talk about so they decided to hit the books. At lease two hours passed before everyone was finished with their homework. Finally, when they were done, they all decided to leave since time was getting closer to their dinnertime. 

Serena quickly went upstairs, and started taking a shower.  When she was finished, she dried her hair and then ate a hearty dinner. She ate the chicken that Lita made while she was at Serena's house since she was finished with her homework first. She also ate some rice and long beans. After that, she ate some chocolate ice cream. A smile was plastered on her face because her parents were not going to be home until the end of the school year. Her parents are going to France and now the house would be all to herself. The house would be all to herself because her parents brought Sammy along too.

After all that daydreaming, she brushed her teeth and went to bed. She drifted into another restful sleep where her dreams would be everything that she imagined it would be. Her dream was about her winning the gold. She didn't need to prove her point anymore because she already did by winning two medals and improving her grades. The only question that bothered her was 'Will she ever win the gold?'. 

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            Well, how was this chapter? I hope that you keep reading my story. Don't forget to review if you want me to continue. Do you even want me to continue? Well, review and leave your opinions for that question. Like laterz!

~ : - starlite crystal - : ~ 


	7. Chapter 7: The Finals

Hello again! Well, here's chapter 7. I hope that no one has forgotten about this story because I haven't updated in a long time. PLEASE review. Lots of thanks to Lara1268, Storm Call, Chibi Doo, starlite crystal (anonymous), shaoulin tiger, bluelight angel, and starz of pixie. Ok well, on to chapter 7.

Disclaimer:  Like I said before, I don't own Sailor Moon. The only things that I own nowadays are my own characters that are made up.

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-/-/-/-/-/- Why don't we recap a bit. -/-/-/-/-/-

            Serena quickly went upstairs, and started taking a shower.  When she was finished, she dried her hair and then ate a hearty dinner. She ate the chicken that Lita made while she was at Serena's house since she was finished with her homework first. She also ate some rice and long beans. After that, she ate some chocolate ice cream. A smile was plastered on her face because her parents were not going to be home until the end of the school year. Her parents are going to France and now the house would be all to herself. The house would be all to herself because her parents brought Sammy along too.

After all that daydreaming, she brushed her teeth and went to bed. She drifted into another restful sleep where her dreams would be everything that she imagined it would be. Her dream was about her winning the gold. She didn't need to prove her point anymore because she already did by winning two medals and improving her grades. The only question that bothered her was 'Will she ever win the gold?' 

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: Midnight on Friday :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            Serena woke up from her restful sleep because of a sound. That sound sounded like the front door and it was opening. Then Serena decided to go downstairs and check out what it was. When she was downstairs, she turned on the light switch and a shocked expression came on her face. Luckily, she did not faint otherwise she would have a bad headache because she would have hit her head on the floor. Anyways, at the front door all soaking wet was Serena's parents and brother. 

            After her parents and her brother dried off and changed their clothes, they explained to Serena what happened and why they are home. First, her father started off by saying that the flight was canceled because of a thunderstorm. Then he said that they got refunds for their tickets. Then Serena's mother said that many tourists and new people coming out from arriving airplanes crowded the place. Then her brother ended off by saying that there were many flight attendants stampeding from one place to another trying to help those that did not have transportation.

            After all that explaining, Serena's mother ended them off by saying that Serena should get some more rest for tomorrow's competition since she will be needing all the strength and energy to win. Then her father said, "You are right. Serena go to bed and do not worry about us. We will unpack our belongings ourselves and Sammy is going to help too." Then Sammy whined, "Do I have to?" Then his Mother replied, "Yes."

            After hearing Sammy's whine, she marched upstairs and headed toward her bedroom. Then she tucked herself in and, once again, drifted off into a blissful sleep.    

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: The Next Morning on Saturday :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            Serena woke up when her alarm started to make a very annoying beeping sound. After rubbing her eyes, she looked at the alarm clock and it read 5:00 in the morning. Then she thought 'This feels like a good time to be jogging since I woke up early. This will also be the first time that I'll be jogging anyways so if it doesn't work out, then I won't jog in the morning anymore.' After making this proclamation, she changed her clothes. Then she grabbed a water bottle and left.

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: While Jogging in the Morning :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

Serena passed by many houses with many different looks and colors. There was one house in particular that always caught her attention when she walked to school and when she walked back home after school. That house was a two story pale pink house. After staring at that house for a minute or two, she continued her jog. After two hours of vigorous jogging, Serena was home.

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: Surprised Family :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            Since her parents were not awake yet, she decided that she could surprise them by making breakfast for them although she is not known as the best chef. She decided to use the cookbook for ideas of what she could make. She flipped many pages and looked at many pictures of different recipes. Some of the recipes were complicated with many steps, and some were easy with a few steps. Then she flipped so many pages that she reached the last page of the book and found a recipe that she could make. It was the recipe for homemade, traditional buttermilk pancakes. 

            When she finally found the recipe she was looking for, she headed for the refrigerator to take out the ingredients that she would need to make fresh pancakes. After she grabbed everything that she would need from the refrigerator, she spread them on the kitchen counter. After that, she grabbed the eggs and cracked them in a bowl. She actually cracked the eggs properly and did not even get a piece of the eggshell in the bowl. Then she beat the eggs and added the other ingredients needed. Finally, with the batter all mixed properly, she turned on the stove and brought out a pan. Then she poured the amount of batter needed for a pancake into the pan and then her cooking began.

            One hour later, her parents and brother woke up to the aroma of fresh buttermilk pancakes. Then they all came out of their rooms and met. They whispered quietly about the delicious aroma that they just smelled. Then they decided to go downstairs and find out who is cooking their tasty meal. 

            When they all reached the bottom of the stairs, they took a few quiet steps and peeked into the kitchen. If you were to look directly at their faces you could see the shocked and disbelief look on their faces. Then Serena turned around and she too was shocked to find her parents and brother in the kitchen with shocked looks on their faces. Then her parents asked, "What are you doing up so early on a SATURDAY morning?" Then Serena told them calmly to sit down and enjoy their meals and then she will answer their questions. 

            After they all sat down and ate their meal, all that could be heard was silence and munching. After they all were finished, her parents asked Sammy to wash the dishes. Before Sammy collected the plates from the table, he and his parents complimented Serena's superior cooking. After the compliments, he brought all of the dishes to the sink, set them down in the sink, and started washing the plates. While Sammy was washing the dishes, Serena and her parents took a seat in the living room and the discussion began.

            First, Serena's mother started out by asking, "What time did you wake up to prepare our meals?" Then Serena replied calmly, "Well, I woke up at 5:00 in the morning. Then I jogged for two hours. Finally, I came home and looked through the cookbook for a recipe to prepare. When I was almost out of luck, I found the pancake recipe at the back of the book." Then her father asked out of curiosity, "Why did you go jogging in the morning?" Then Serena replied, "Well, I thought it would be good to try something new so that is why." For the next hour, this was how the discussion went.

            After their conversation ended, Serena's mother reminded her that she had one hour before they had to go because their destination would take them one hour to get to. In that one hour, Serena changed into her track clothes, packed her sport bag, and left it by the front door so she would not forget it. Then she sat down on the couch and watched some TV. 

One hour later, Serena was watching one of her favorite shows and forgot all about the time. Her parents were too busy planning many things out that they too forgot about the time. Her brother was upstairs playing on his game system and was also trying to beat the game that he also forgot about the time.

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: On the Way to the Finals :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

Finally, when it was fifteen minutes later, Serena's parents were running down the stairs yelling, "We are late. Hurry, get in the car and grab your stuff". Then Serena got up from the couch and hastily grabbed her bag. Then Sammy came running down and he went into the car. Then Serena and her parents stampeded to the car. Next, Serena's father turned on the ignition and they were off. Her father tried to drive as fast as he could, but the traffic slowed them down. They entered the freeway and zoomed off because there was less traffic there.

            Finally, after being in the car for fifty-five minutes, they reached their destination. Serena was ten minutes late so she dashed off as soon as she got there. When her parents finally caught up with her, she was with her team. Then, after another five minutes, each team competing went into the conference rooms to talk about their strategy.

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: In the Conference Rooms :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            When everyone went in the room, Darien shut the door and started announcing that the team they are against is 'Faster than Lightning'. Then Hiromi said, "Didn't we already beat them?" Then Darien replied, "Yes, but they are the fourth place team so that is why we are against them again." Then he continued by saying, "The runners for today are Hiromi, Katrina, and Serena. The substitutes are Latterly, Erica, and Jessilyn." After that, he ended off by saying, "Everyone go outside and start stretching. Substitutes will sit on the bench and fill in when needed. Runners will run unless an injury occurs". After he said all that, everyone listened to his orders. 

            Everyone headed toward the shade and started stretching. Serena gave a long yawn before she started stretching. When Latterly saw that, she said, "Well, well, well, little Serena all tired. You are not going to fall asleep on the job are you. We have a final to win so if you don't win don't bother coming to the pizza celebration after the competition." Then Serena replied, "Well, I will not fall asleep. Isn't the pizza party for the RUNNERS only?" Then Latterly was quiet because she knew that the celebration was mainly for the runners.

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: Finally, the Finals :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

After that really short conversation, the announcer said, "Runners to the starting line please". With that said, every runner from each team went to the starting line. Then they got into position and the referee blew the whistle signaling them to start. The announcer spoke and said, "Well, we have Stacie at the lead, followed by Hiromi, Katrina, Helen, Brianna, and finally Serena. Oh wait, Hiromi and Katrina just passed Stacie. Now, coming towards the finish line for 1st place is Hiromi, 2nd place is Katrina, and 3rd place is Stacie." Then the competition ended and Serena was felt disgraced that she did not run as well as before. 

            Then she turned around and that is when Sheena said, "Serena, it is ok that you did not do as well. Maybe you were tired or something." Then Mina and the group came up to Serena with encouraging smiles and told her that she did her best and that is what counts. Then her family said, "Why don't we go home now, alright Serena?" Then Serena replied, "Alright." When they reached their car, Sheena ran up to them and said, "Wait. Serena do you want to come to the pizza party with us?" Then Serena replied, with sadness evident in her voice, "No, thank you." Then Sheena said, "Ok. See you at practice." Then Sheena left.

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: Going Back Home :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            When Serena arrived home, she quickly ran upstairs, unloaded everything out of her sport bag, and grabbed some clothes. Then she went into the restroom and started to take a long shower. Luckily, for her, she finished all of her homework yesterday so she would be free all weekend. One hour later, she left the showers and started to dry her hair. After another hour, she decided that it was time for her to eat lunch. Her mother left her some rice, broccoli, and chicken since she had to run some errands. 

            After Serena finished her lunch, she watched the TV for two hours and ate a light dinner. Then she changed into her pajamas, brushed her teeth, and went to bed. She did not sleep as peaceful as she did before, but she still did go to sleep.

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            Well, what do you think of this chapter? Review me your opinions and ideas. Do you think that I should continue? Review if you want me to continue. Um…like laterz!

~ : - starlite crystal - : ~ 


	8. Chapter 8: The Practice Before the Champ...

Well, hey there. I am sorry for not updating. I did not update because I was working on my new story 'A New Species'. Lots of thanks to those who reviewed. For those of you that do not review, start thinking about reviewing so you can get your opinions out. Also, lots of thanks to pinkbunnyvv who also reviewed. Well, on to another chapter. enjoy!

Disclaimer: I still do not own Sailor Moon. The only thing I own are the characters that I made up.

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~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: Two Months Later (May) on Friday :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            Today was another long day for Serena; like usual, Serena would go to her morning classes, listen to their long lectures, take down her homework, and leave. The only classes (not really classes) that she enjoys are lunch and recess. When it was recess time, Serena and the group would always walk around the playground and talk. When the teacher blew her whistle, they would line up and then go to their next classes. Every class was practically the same thing. 

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: Lunch Time :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            Finally, after listening to the long and boring lectures, it was time for lunch. Today's lunch was hamburgers and fries. The lunch ticket also included a drink, mixed fruits, and rice or mashed potatoes. Today, Serena and everyone in the group ordered their lunch instead of packing their own. The lines were long today actually more like every day. 

            When Serena and the group finally got their food, they headed for their usual spot and sat down. There was a long period of silence until Serena asked Lita, "Why didn't you pack your food today?" Then Lita replied, "Well, I wanted to try some of the school's food. I also wanted to try it so I can finally answer the question 'why does everyone likes this food so much?'" Then Serena said, "Oh." Then they all ate quietly and finished early.

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: Recess Time! :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~ 

            Since they all finished early, they got to leave early. When they were outside, they just sat down and talked instead of the usual walk and talk. They talked about today's practice, tomorrow's championships, and about the team. They also talked about some statistics and strategies so Serena would do well. When Serena went to the restrooms, Mina and the group were planning a celebration party for all of Serena's hard work whether she won or not. 

            When Serena came back from the restroom, the group quickly changed the subject; but before they could say something else, the teacher blew her whistle and it was time to line up. While they were walking towards the line, Ray said, "Phew, we were saved by the whistle." Then Mina said, "Yup, that was a close one." Then Lita replied, "If the teacher never blew the whistle, I wouldn't have anything to say." Then Amy replied, "Yeah, me too."

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: Two more Classes to Go :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            There were only two more classes to go. They are grammar/ language and history. First was history and then grammar/ language. In history, there is a test that might take the whole period. In grammar/language, there will be another long lecture. 

            As soon as Serena entered the classroom, she sat down at her usual seat and started to review her notes. As the class started to fill in, the teacher announced that she will give them ten minutes to review their notes. As soon as she said that, all you could hear in the classroom was papers being flipped forward and some being flipped backwards. As soon as the ten minutes were over, the teacher got up from her desk and started passing out the tests. After that, she said, "You may begin. When you finish, put the test on my desk." Then she retreated back to her desk. Half an hour later, the teacher looked up from the papers that she was correcting and said, "Ok. Class dismissed."

            After that was said, all that was heard in the halls were the sound of stampeding feet.  All the charging was heard until the classrooms were filled. The grammar/language teacher was surprised at the promptness of the students in her class. Then , when she got back into her senses, she greeted all of her students to another day of grammar/language. Then the long and boring lecture began. 

            When the class was over, there was another stampede in the halls. The stampede was cleared when all of the students returned to their homerooms. When Serena arrived to her homeroom, Mina and the group were already there. As soon as they waved to her, she waved back. Then she packed up all of her belongings and left for the last practice before the championships. 

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: At Practice :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            Today at practice, Serena was a few minutes early. With the few minutes that she had, she started stretching. Before she started stretching, she noticed that everyone was talking and chatting away. After staring for a while, she came back to her senses and started stretching. When Darien came, everyone stopped talking and started to act serious.

            Then Darien said, "Everyone, let's go to the conference rooms to discuss some matters." Then everyone immediately obeyed his command and headed to the conference rooms. When they all were in the room, they took a seat and the discussion began. First, Darien said, "Congratulations! We won the finals. Now we are going to the championships, which is tomorrow. We will practice lightly today that way you will not feel really tired. Oh yeah, we are against the 'Speed Goddesses'. They are the third place team." After he mentioned the other team, a whole new discussion took place now that everyone knew what they were up against. 

            Serena remembered the wise saying that somebody told her and quoted it in her mind 'Looks can be deceiving. When you meet a person and get to know them, you may think that you know everything about them, but beware because not everyone shows you their other side.' Then she made a vow in her mind that states 'I will not let my guard down for one minute because if I do, they will already win before the race has begun.'

            After that long conversation, everyone started practicing. Most of the time, they were practicing timed laps and drills. They did not practice running laps against each other, but, instead, they had a discussion at the end of practice talking about the strategy that they would use. After that discussion was over, everyone left and took their usual paths home. 

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: At Home :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            When Serena arrived home, she raced upstairs and started doing her homework. When she was done with that, she took a shower. After her long shower, she dried her hair and then she changed into her pajamas. After she was done changing, she went downstairs to eat her dinner. For her dinner, she microwaved some leftover chicken, rice, and mixed vegetables. She enjoyed her dinner and heard the front door opening, which signaled that her parents and brother were home. 

Her parents went into the kitchen to greet Serena and she returned their greeting. After they exchanged their greetings, her parents went upstairs to change their clothes and then come downstairs to eat dinner. Serena was finished with her dinner and went into the living room to watch some TV. While she was heading for the living room, her brother was heading for the kitchen. When she turned on the TV, she heard her parents' footsteps as they walked downstairs.  They too were heading for the kitchen. 

            One hour later, Serena went upstairs and started brushing her teeth. While she was doing that, her parents now occupied the vacant living room and watched TV. Since the TV downstairs was taken, Sammy decided to use the TV in his room. 

            When Serena was done brushing her teeth, she headed to her room and went to bed. The thought that haunted her most was the questions 'Will I do well tomorrow? Will I embarrass myself tomorrow? Will I ever win the gold?' Even though she drifted off into a restful sleep, these three questions still bothered her.

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            Well, that is chapter 8 of Winning the Gold. I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter. Well…um…so…that is all. laterz!  :)      =)    ε( = 

~ : - starlite crystal - : ~


	9. Chapter 9: The Championships

Well, hi again! Many thanks to gray heartice and Silver Moonlight-18 for reviewing. I actually have time to update because my school gets a whole week off for Thanksgiving break. Review and I will continue. Well, on to the next chapter. enjoy! 

Disclaimer: I still don't own Sailor Moon and I probably never will. The only things that I own are the characters that I made up.

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-/-/-/-/-/- Let's recap a bit -/-/-/-/-/-

When Serena was done brushing her teeth, she headed to her room and went to bed. The thought that haunted her most was the questions 'Will I do well tomorrow? Will I embarrass myself tomorrow? Will I ever win the gold?' Even though she drifted off into a restful sleep, these three questions still bothered her.

-/-/-/-/-/- End of Recap -/-/-/-/-/-

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: Morning of the Championships :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            Serena woke up to another beautiful day as she always would. Today was the day of the championships. She enjoyed the fact that she would get whatever she wanted for breakfast instead of the usual pancakes or waffles. She decided that she would want to eat an egg, cheese, and ham sandwiches for breakfast. Another fact that she enjoyed was that her mother was going to make it for her instead of her making it by herself. She also knew that she would need a big miracle in order to win the gold, but do miracles always happen? 

            After all those thoughts that flooded her mind faded away, she sighed and then proceeded to walk down the stairs to devour the delicious sandwiches waiting for her downstairs. When she reached the kitchen, she quickly greeted her mother and swiftly took a seat. When her mother turned around to greet her, her mother was in shock because the sandwiches that was on the table has now disappeared into Serena's stomach. Sammy watched from the stairs at the shocked expression on his mother's face and laughed out loud.

            Then Serena got up from her chair, walked up the stairs, and hissed at Sammy while she passed by him. He did nothing back as soon as he saw Serena's threatening face. When she got upstairs, she immediately went into the restroom, brushed her teeth, and left. Then she walked into her bedroom and changed into her track clothes. When she was done changing, she went down stairs and sat down. Since her championships did not start until an hour later, she decided to watch some TV. 

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: Narration :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            The time is 9:00. The championships finally were about to begin. After one whole year of thoughts and dreams, Serena's questions were actually going to be answered in one day. 

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: The Championships Begins :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            After half an hour of driving, Serena and her family finally made it on time for the championships. As soon as they arrived, Serena walked to the track and met up with the team. After a few minutes of discussion, the teams competing went into the meeting rooms. In the meeting room, the team reviewed what they discussed yesterday. When their time for discussion was up, the teams left the rooms and the crowd started to cheer for the championships were about to begin.

            As soon as the teams left the rooms, they started stretching. After their moment of stretching, the competitors went towards the starting line. Then the announcer said, "Runners to the starting line." After waiting for the competitors to head to the starting line, he resumed and continued by saying, "Please get into your position and the race will soon begin." After that was said, the runners got into position. A few minutes after they got into position, the referee blew his whistle and the championships began.

            After the announcer watched the runners turn the first curve, he announced, "It looks like we got Kathryn in the lead, followed by Kristine, Hiromi, Katrina, Serena, and Jamie. It also looks like the team known as the 'Speed Goddesses' will be taking home the trophy." After that information was said, Serena's mind started to have flashbacks to the other competitions. Each one was put together like a continuous movie. After a while, the announcer saw many changes in what he announced, but he was too shocked to speak at the moment. When he came back to his senses, he announced, "Now it looks like the team known as 'Storm Runners' are going to win because one of the runners has made a magnificent improvement."

To be continued in the next chapter…

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            Well, it looks like another chapter is complete. :)  =)  This is my first cliffhanger (I think). Yay! Did you really think that I would not do this to you? Well, think again!.  

~ : - starlite crystal - : ~


	10. Chapter 10: Miracles Happen

Hey there you all! Well, here is another chapter for your delight. If you want to get your opinions out, then review. If you have any questions, then review. Well, on to the next chapter. Um… well… I guess that is all… so enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any related characters. I do own the characters that I put in. 

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-/-/-/-/-/- Why don't we recap a little bit -/-/-/-/-/-

After the announcer watched the runners turn the first curve, he announced, "It looks like we got Kathryn in the lead, followed by Kristine, Hiromi, Katrina, Serena, and Jamie. It also looks like the team known as the 'Speed Goddesses' will be taking home the trophy." After that information was said, Serena's mind started to have flashbacks to the other competitions. Each one was put together like a continuous movie. After a while, the announcer saw many changes in what he announced, but he was too shocked to speak at the moment. When he came back to his senses, he announced, "Now it looks like the team known as 'Storm Runners' are going to win because one of the runners has made a magnificent improvement."

To be continued in the next paragraph…

-/-/-/-/-/- End of Recap -/-/-/-/-/-

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: The Championships End Now :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            Then the announcer continued by saying, "Serena has just passed Katrina. No, wait, she now just passed Hiromi. Huh?…Now she just passed Kristine. This is an amazing improvement and being an announcer is a very confusing job." After that was said, Serena just passed the last curve. She knew that all she needed now was to pass Kathryn and the gold would be hers and then all her hard work would then be paid off.  

            She remembered all the strategies that the team discussed yesterday and then she started to apply them to the skills that she already knew. And finally, when the finish line was approaching, Serena speeded up and passed Kathryn. Then she passed the finish line proudly and won the gold. Now the question that she thought about in the morning was answered. Miracles do happen when you believe in what you are doing. 

            Then the announcer left his seat to congratulate the winners. "Well", he said, "It looks like the championship trophy will, after all, be going to the team known as 'Storm Runners'. Well, now to the individual medals. Hmm… 1st place goes to Serena, who, in all my years of being an announcer, has made the most extravagant improvement; 2nd place goes to Kathryn, and 3rd place goes to Hiromi, who, at the last minute, passed Kristine."

            After that long 'congratulation speech' was over, the crowd cheered wildly. When Serena looked to the right side of the stands, she saw her family and friends waving their hands and cheering her on; but on the opposite side, she saw Latterly staring at her bitterly, but not as bitterly as before. That was when Serena thought, 'Indeed, a miracle did happen because I believed in myself.'

            When Serena's quick thought faded away, she walked towards her team and they congratulated her too. After all that congratulations, Serena walked towards her family and friends, and they said, "Why don't we celebrate?" Then Serena exclaimed, "Ok, but may we not go to that pizza place again." Then they all nodded in agreement that they would celebrate, but they would not go to the pizza place again.

            Then Serena had a really quick thought and said, "Wait! Do you think that we should ask the team if they want to celebrate too? Well, they did run also." Then Mina said, "Yeah, they did run, but they were the ones that discouraged you." Then Serena replied, "Yeah, I know that they did discourage me, but I did not let them get to me and put me down. Ok, so Latterly did get to me, but deep inside, she might not be like that. I think that we should get to know them better instead of being judgmental." With that said, no one made a single comment.

            With no comment being said, Serena decided that they agreed and then she went off. First, she spotted the team and then she walked up to them. She bravely asked, "Would you like to come with my family, friends, and I to celebrate our win?" Then the team replied in unison, "Ok. Sure." With that said, the team followed Serena and went with her to ask Latterly and the coaches. Second, she saw both Sheena and Darien, so she walked up to them followed by the team and asked, "Would you like to come with my family, friends, the team, and I to celebrate our win?" Then their replies were 'yeses'. Finally, when she spotted Latterly, she walked up to her with the team and coaches behind her and asked the exact same question and this time her reply was a 'yes'.

            Then the team, coaches, Latterly, and she walked up to her parents, and her parents announced that they are going to an ice cream parlor to celebrate. Then everyone exclaimed some comments like 'yes', 'alright', and 'yippee'. After all those comments were made, everyone was off to celebrate. 

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            Well, another chapter complete. =) =) Yay! Well, I still have like three more chapters to go (I think). Keep reviewing. Once again, many thanks to my faithful reviewers (people who reviewed for most of my story) and reviewers. Laterz!

~ : - starlite crystal - : ~


	11. Chapter 11: New more like old Acquaintan...

Hello again everyone! I hope that nobody has forgotten this story. Well, anyways, I'm back to update. Before I get on with the story, I would like to thank Azn-Gurl-Mizu, golden sea, white light angel, starry night, kool girl, purple pajamas, teeny went, kawaii Hawaii, and super sailor usagi for your reviews. Oh yeah, another thanks would go to super sailor usagi for giving me Sailor Pluto's name. Also, many thanks to those who have reviewed, and I have not thanked. Well, now, on to another chapter. enjoy! 

Disclaimer: I still do not own Sailor Moon or any related characters. I only own the characters that I put in and the storyline. 

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-/-/-/-/-/- Let's recap a bit -/-/-/-/-/-

Then Serena had a really quick thought and said, "Wait! Do you think that we should ask the team if they want to celebrate too? Well, they did run also." Then Mina said, "Yeah, they did run, but they were the ones that discouraged you." Then Serena replied, "Yeah, I know that they did discourage me, but I did not let them get to me and put me down. Ok, so Latterly did get to me, but deep inside, she might not be like that. I think that we should get to know them better instead of being judgmental." With that said, no one made a single comment.

            With no comment being said, Serena decided that they agreed and then she went off. First, she spotted the team and then she walked up to them. She bravely asked, "Would you like to come with my family, friends, and I to celebrate our win?" Then the team replied in unison, "Ok. Sure." With that said, the team followed Serena and went with her to ask Latterly and the coaches. Second, she saw both Sheena and Darien, so she walked up to them followed by the team and asked, "Would you like to come with my family, friends, the team, and I to celebrate our win?" Then their replies were 'yeses'. Finally, when she spotted Latterly, she walked up to her with the team and coaches behind her and asked the exact same question and this time her reply was a 'yes'.

            Then the team, coaches, Latterly, and she walked up to her parents, and her parents announced that they are going to an ice cream parlor to celebrate. Then everyone exclaimed some comments like 'yes', 'alright', and 'yippee'. After all those comments were made, everyone was off to celebrate. 

-/-/-/-/-/- End of Recap -/-/-/-/-/-

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: At the Celebration :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            At the ice cream parlor, all that could be seen through the windows were the gleeful faces of the track team. Each one was eating their own flavor of ice cream. Nothing was heard in the parlor except for slurping and whispered noises. Finally, after the majority of the people finished their ice cream, there was laughter and talking. The talking started with Latterly and Erica, and it soon spread to the rest of the people in the parlor. The laughter was also started in the same way. 

            After long moments of being in silence because of no one to talk to, Latterly tapped Serena on the shoulder; and in response, Serena turned around and came face to face with the person who has ridiculed her ever since she joined the track team. Serena thought in her mind for a moment if it was a good idea to answer Latterly. When her mind was made up, she said in her kindest manner possible, "Yes?" Then Latterly replied, "Well…uhm…I was just going to thank you for inviting me even though I was a pain the past few times. I think that it was really nice of you to invite me again. This was a lot of fun." With that said, Latterly swiftly turned away and walked back to her group of friends. 

            Mina and the group saw the whole thing, and they decided to ask Serena what Latterly had to say this time. Serena had a shocked expression the whole time, and she was not even aware that her friends were right behind her until they interrupted her thoughts by tapping her shoulder. Mina and the group watched as Serena jumped from her seat and quickly turned around. After the faint gasp that she made, Mina asked with questioning eyes, "What did Latterly have to say to you this time?" Then the rest of the group crowded around her and waited for her response. 

            Finally, when Serena answered, all that could be heard from her group were gasps, and all that could be seen were the shocked expressions on their faces, which resembled Serena's earlier one. When the whole group returned to their senses, Mina asked, "I wonder if she has a motive?" Then Amy said, "Who knows? We may need to wait and see if she does have a motive." Then Lita said, "She looks like she really likes to hang around the people that are noted for something." Then Ray asked, "What do you mean?" Then Lita replied, "Well, take a look at Hiromi. She is smart just like Amy. Take a look at Katrina. She is sporty and energetic. See, they are all noted for something." Then Ray answered, "I see what you mean." 

            When Latterly turned her head around to see if Serena was alone, she noticed that Serena was not alone, but she decided that it would be a great time to start over and get to know her and her friends, so she started walking over towards them. When she reached them, she was greeted by the group's stares. Then she said, "Hi! I was…umm…hoping that…maybe we all could start over and get to know each other again?" Then the group gave a quick look at each other, and then they faced her and said, "Sure. That will be delightful." After that was said, Latterly motioned for them to follow her as she led them to her group of friends. 

            The whole group followed Latterly as she led them towards her friends. When they finally reached their destination, they, too, were greeted with stares from the other group. Then Hiromi whispered to Katrina, "Why did Latterly bring them here? You know how she dislikes them." Then Katrina responded by saying in a whisper, "She must have a plan up her sleeve. Anyways, how could one person change because of an event?" Then Hiromi whispered back, "Beets me."

            When all the whispering among the other group were finished, Latterly cleared her throat and explained what was going on. She explained how she wanted to get to know Serena and her group, and how judgmental she was in the past. She also answered the question everyone from Serena's group wanted to know, which was 'Did she have a motive?' and 'Did she get along with a person just because of their accomplishments?'. She responded and said, "No, she did not have a motive. Yes, in the beginning, she always wanted to be friends with someone notable; but now, after she has changed, she wants a friend who will be there for her, and a friend that has a great personality."

            That was how the rest of the day of the championships went. Before everyone left the ice cream parlor, the two groups now knew some things about one another, and they decided to catch up with other information by hanging out during the summer. Now, Serena and her group walked home knowing that they have accomplished one thing, which was making new acquaintances. 

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: At Home (Serena's home) :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            When Serena arrived home, which was tow hours later because they took the scenic route, she showered, changed her clothes, and then she went down stairs. When she went downstairs, she put her gold medal in the 'medal and trophy' case that her father built for her ever since she brought home the bronze medal. Then she smiled at the thought and went to the kitchen to prepare something for her to eat.

            When she reached the refrigerator, she took out the barbequed pork chops, the gravy mashed potatoes, and the traditional rice. She microwaved them, sat down quietly, and began to eat her meal. After her meal was finished, she noticed that she still had time to do whatever she wanted for about an hour, so she decided to brush her teeth first. When she was finished, she ran down the stairs and plopped down on the couch. She turned on the TV and watched the rest of the night. Finally, about an hour and a half later, she drifted off swiftly into another one of her tranquil sleeps.   

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Well, how did you all like this chapter? Hmm…there are about two more chapters left. Wow, I cannot believe that my first story is almost complete! :) Yay! Well, please review and you will be guaranteed to see the next chapter maybe this weekend.

~ : - starlite crystal - : ~


	12. Chapter 12: New Friends

Hi y'all! Well, I'm back! This is my final update for this story because it is done (finally)! Yay! I cannot believe that I have soooooo many reviews. Cool! Another thanks to the anonymous reviewer known as ???????? or ????? and Sailor Serenity5. Well, on to another chapter. enjoy! 

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any related characters (like always). I only own the characters that I put in this story and the storyline.

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~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: The Graduation :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            After waiting for many days, the graduation finally came. Everyone was dressed in a royal blue colored graduation gown. Adorned on their heads were the graduation caps. Everybody stood on the stands in height order; and in their minds, they yelled 'we're finally free from high school. College here we come!' As the principal called their names, they walked towards the vice principal to receive their diplomas. 

           After all the diplomas were passed out, the principal and vice principal started to pass out the scholarships for sports, the valedictorian for studies, and the salutatorian for studies. While the vice principal handed out the awards, the principal announced those who were awarded. She announced, "This year's valedictorian for studies goes to Amy Mizuno. This year's salutatorian goes to Hiromi Karin. Finally, this year's scholarship for sports goes to…Serena Tsukino."

            After the last name was said, there was an abundance of cheers coming from those who were seated. As the principal dismissed the students, a stampede of parents and students clamored out the doors; everyone was ready to start their summer vacation. The last groups to leave were Serena's group, her family, and Sheena's group. By the time the stampede was over, they were the only ones left. Serena's family decided to go and let Serena hang out with her old friends, as well as, with her new friends. 

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: School's Out and it's Summer Time :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            Finally, on the first day of summer, both groups went to the mall to hang out. When it was lunchtime, both groups ate and talked together at the food court. After lunch was done, both groups separated and agreed to meet again at Ray's temple. After Ray gave them the directions, each group was off on their own. Everyone in the group noted in their minds that they have accomplished something, which was making new friends. 

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: Sleepover at Ray's Temple :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

            At approximately 6:00 p.m., Serena's group was over at Ray's house decorating and cooking. Finally, at 7:00 p.m., Sheena's group arrived and was in awe because of the extravagant decorations and the delicious aroma of a fresh home cooked meal. As soon as they came back to their senses, they stepped in to the temple. Ray directed them to the living room, where they will be sleeping, and then many familiar faces that said 'Hi' and 'Hello' greeted them.

            As soon as they were greeted, Lita brought the dinner that she specially made, and everyone began to eat. All that could be heard now were the mmm's and the yum's that were said by the new group enjoying the freshly made meal. After that savory meal, everyone proceeded to head to the living rooms they could talk and play board games. In the living room, there was enough space for both groups to sit and sleep. 

            Ray brought out a few of her board games and set them on the floor. Since there were a lot of people, some people would not get to play the games, so she decided that each game would have a group. She said, "Everyone that wants to play Monopoly, go sit at that corner." Everyone looked at the direction that she was pointing in, and the people that wanted to play went there. Serena, Latterly, Sheena, Amy, Hiromi, and Mina played monopoly. After everyone picked their characters, they voted for Amy to be the banker, and then the game began. 

            After that group was settled, she picked up another board game and said, "Whoever wants to play Trivial Pursuit, go sit over there." As soon as that was said, Ray pointed a finger in the opposite direction, and then Lita, Jasmine, and Katrina headed for that direction. Finally, after everyone set up the board and cards, the game began. Finally, she pointed in an empty spot in between the other two groups and said, "Whoever wants to play Mah Jonng, go sit over there." Right after that was said, Jessilyn, Erica, and herself went to the instructed spot and began their game also.

            After two hours of playing with the board games, the winners of each group were announced. They were Serena for Monopoly, Katrina for Trivial Pursuit, and Ray for Mah Jonng. After that was announced, Ray said that there were only three bathrooms, so only three people at a time can go. Since Latterly, Serena, and Sheena were the last three to go, Latterly thought  that this was a good time to talk to Serena with out being questioned, so she asked her, "What do you plan to be when you grow up?" Then Serena replied swiftly, as if she has made up her mind, "I plan to be a track runner when I grow up. Of course, I mean a professional one." With that said, Latterly replied, "Oh."      

The End…

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Hey again y'all! How do you like this chapter? Good? Bad? Well, I thought that this was a good stopping place. I'm extremely sorry if I did not spell Mah Jonng correctly. I guess that's one thing I'll have to improve on. If you have any comments, please review them to me. I have do not have plans for a sequel; but if you would like one, then tell me while you review or e-mail it to me. I want to give out soooooooooooooo many thanks to my faithful reviewers (those who have reviewed the majority of my chapters and my reviewers. Oh yeah, have a MeRrY ChRiStMaS and HaVe a HaPpY NeW YeAr. I hope that you all enjoyed reading this story as I have writing it. 'til next time…

~ : - starlite crystal - : ~


	13. Chapter 13: Character Profiles

Hi again! Well, this is not really a chapter (I think), but this is the last chapter for Winning the Gold. For those of you that know how Serena and the group acts and looks like, then chapter 12 would be your last chapter. I forgot to put this up before; so here it is. Enjoy, for those of you that reads it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor moon or any related characters. I only own the characters that I put in this story. 

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~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~: Character Profiles :~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

Mina: long blond hair that is always tied up with a red bow; goddess of love; really jumpy and talkative; light blue eyes; perky; Sailor Venus

Amy: shy; quiet; smart; short blue hair; blue eyes; really calm; Sailor Mercury

Ray: long black hair; violet, black eyes; gets angry and annoyed easily; Sailor Mars

Lita: green eyes; shoulder length hair (I think) that is always tied up in a ponytail; loves to fight; Sailor Jupiter

Serena: really long blond hair that touches the ground; always ties it up in meatballs and has hair dangling from it; light blue eyes; klutzy; ditzy; Sailor Moon

Darien: black hair; black eyes; wears a green jacket; coach of the track team; Tuxedo Mask

Amara: blond hair that is as short as boy's hair; tomboyish; black eyes; does not wear dresses and skirts; Sailor Uranus

Michelle: aquamarine colored hair; shoulder length hair; aquamarine colored eyes; never ties up her hair; Sailor Neptune

Sara (Trista): long black hair with some dark green streaks; green eyes; always tied up like Mina's hairstyle; Sailor Pluto 

Latterly: slightly longer than shoulder length black hair; black eyes; gets annoyed easily; likes to put people down; gossips

Sheena: substitute coach; brown hair with highlights; brown eyes; slightly shorter than shoulder; somewhat bubbly; likes to encourage and brighten people up

Hiromi: black hair; black eyes; smart; quiet unless she's around a group of people that she knows 

Jasmine: black hair; black eyes; bubbly; really short hair; does not like to wear dresses or skirts

Katrina: tallest person of the group; really short black hair; black eyes; always ties her hair up in a ponytail

Heather: long blond hair (like Mina's length); has some brown streaks; hazel eyes; bubbly; jumpy; somewhat perky

Erica:  elbow length black hair; black eyes; really short; wears glasses; bubbly

Jessilyn: really short; black hair; black eyes; bubbly; keeps track of time

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Well, this is the end of Winning the Gold. For those of you that enjoyed this story, check out my other stories. Well…um…like…hmm…oh yeah…like laterz!

~ : - starlite crystal - : ~

P.S.- Ok…um…please tell me if I should make a sequel for this story. One more thing…MeRrY ChRiStMaS and a HaPpY NeW YeAr!!!!!


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